Jackery makes some of the most popular power stations you can buy, whether you want one to charge your laptop on the go, for a camping trip, or as a back-up generator. The Explorer 500 is one of the brand’s most popular options in a compact footprint. But the Explorer 500 v2 is even better than the original version.
The second-gen power station offers a longer-lasting battery with nearly double the cycle life, charges devices even faster, and is even more compact than the original. It’s barely bigger than a lunch box and can keep TVs or other home appliances powered for around 5 hours, or juice a laptop up more than 10 times.
Jackery’s pitched this pint-sized power station as the lightest and smallest in its class. It weighs just 5.7 kg and tucks neatly into places that most other power stations would sulk about. That makes it appealing for campers, festival-goers, or anyone who likes to pretend their garden shed is off-grid.
The v2 overhaul is serious business. Jackery swapped in a LiFePO₄ battery with ceramic multi-layer tech. Mostly, that means it doesn’t get too hot, doesn’t blow up, and won’t quit on you after a few summers. Jackery reckons this station is good for a whopping 6000 charge cycles to 70% capacity – which could be years of powering your nonsense.
What can it actually handle? With 512 Wh of capacity and 500 watts of continuous output, you’re sorted for phones, laptops, lights, fans, mini-fridges, and your TV. I wouldn’t try to power your air fryer, but it’ll happily keep the essentials going when the mains gives up. Ports-wise, it’s pretty generous. You get two AC outlets, two USB-C, a USB-A, and a 12V car socket.
Plug it into the wall and you’re looking at 80 minutes to full, or under an hour in hybrid mode. Solar takes longer, obviously, and you’ll need to buy a solar panel. Jackery reckons it’ll take around 200 minutes to juice up with the SolarSaga 100W panel – which is miles better than the original Explorer 500. It’s supposed to be almost silent, too. Jackery says it hums along at under 28 dB with a 200-watt load, which is basically whisper-quiet.
The Jackery Explorer 500 v2 is landing on shelves 19 September for £449. If you fancy the full solar setup, the Solar Generator 500 v2 bundle (which includes the SolarSaga 100W panel) will set you back £649. US pricing and availability hasn’t been announced yet, but we’ll let you know when this changes.
